A few signs that Zac is growing up!

- He is starting to understand the word "No" or "Stop". In the past, he would just carry on carrying out the dirty deed but now...he looks at me cheekily then carries out the dirty deed.
- He is responding verbally when i ask him questions and tries to join in conversations i have with other people.
- I no longer have to puree his food to death...although he has no teeth yet, he is able to chew on much lumpier food. That is a great relief to me...saves me having to use the blender (more washing!)
- He can now reach for objects which we used to think were too hard for him to reach out to grab!
- He is now able to choose which books he wants to read.
- He is starting to "tell" us what he wants...either verbally or non-verbally.
- He is now able to drink from his sippy cup without drenching his top with water.
- He might need to start wearing shoes now...as he is always wanting to be put down onto the floor to stand when we are out.
- He is starting to hold "conversations" with other babies.
- He now recognises familiar people.
- He is starting to imitate actions really well and understand instructions alot better.
- We now have to start buying a whole batch of larger-sized clothes.
- We no longer can stuff him into his back-facing car seat.

Give the kid a break

I think i expect too much from Zac...lately i've been complaining alot...about how his day time naps are so erratic, about how he has been waking up during the night, about how he wakes up far too early, about how he fusses to be let down onto the floor when we are out, about etc etc.
But today...God reminded me that...he is only a 10.5 month old baby, and i should give him a break! Sorry Zac...mummy has been too overwhelmed by the little things and failed to look at the bigger picture...you!
And i thank God again...for giving me you!
Can't believe that he will be turning one soon...but in the little things he does i am starting to see my little boy maturing each day...may my wisdom as a mother mature each day too....

15 mins

Zac could only keep himself asleep for 15 mins this morning...so after another 15 mins of me trying in vain to get him back to napping...i gave up. Decided that maybe we should do something different this morning...wanted to attempt to spend some leisurely time at Coffee bean...had images of me sipping coffee and flipping through a mag leisurely, while Zac occupies himself in his high chair.
WRONG image...the total time we ended up spending in coffee bean....15 mins!

We could but we don't

For all who have been asking how the boy is doing...thank God he is alot better and we seem to have bade the cough "bye bye". It's amazing how much guilt i felt whenever i heard him cough, but i realised that such things are out of my hands and i thank God for good health eversince. Such things cannot be taken for granted.
Think we kind of have our nap thing sorted out. Now...Zac would only sleep for the most 45 mins in the morning...and konk out after lunch around 2...he usually (hopefully i don't jinx it by putting this down!) sleeps for about 2 hours...so he is up again by 4!! That means alot more entertainment is needed!!! I have been so wiped out by the end of the day. But thank God...he is sleeping slightly earlier in the night too...knocks out by 9.30...BUT has been waking up at 5 these few mornings. So you can imagine...we are very tired! We will try to delay his "official" waking till at least 6.
I guess i could go to bed earlier...now that he is sleeping earlier...but i don't. I am so unwilling to succumb to my sleep....i treasure my "me" time too much...that's the only time where i can do whatever i want...read...watch TV...write...surf...vegetate...too treasured. So i plough on with 6 hours sleep! Sigh...and still no sign of those pearly whites in Zac's mouth!!!

Throwing in the towel...

Today is one of those days when i really felt like throwing in the towel. But is that possible? NO...cos there is no towel to throw! Unfortunately this towel is attached to me....sigh
Zac and i have been in and out of the doctor's clinic about 4 times these past few days...Zac has a cough...went to see the doctor yesterday...after taking medication, noticed spots on his leg very much like insect bites...but lots. Got worried sent him back to the doctors again in the evening thinking that it might be an allergic reaction to the medication. Doctor said it is just bites and he has extra sensitive skin that reacts to these particular bites.
Me...my skin had a violent reaction to some weird mosquito that has biten me...cream was given from the doc...but still didn't help...went back to the doc today...more cream and washes...SIGH SIGH SIGH SIGH

But i really want to!

Zachary is starting to show his desire to do things on his own and to have his way over certain things....very challenging...i feel the pressure to be consistant in how i discipline him and how i react when he acts up.
Just yesterday we had a little episode in the bedroom...there is a long wire cord kind of dangling near his cot...it leads to a plug head so we have no choice but to let it dangle there and try to move the curtains in the vain attempt to hide it from him. Eversince Zac could pull himself up he has been eyeing that wire cord for some time...and occassionally (when we are not looking) pull at it with glee! Yesterday we caught him doing it and told him firmly that "he cannot touch it as it is dangerous and its not for little children to play with". Before we could even say "cannot..." he was already pulling it with wild abandonment! Sigh! We told him firmly again that he is not to touch it and it makes us very upset when he does that...he looked at us for awhile and started pulling at it again. In a final attempt...i just said "NO! Stop pulling at the wire cord!" He looked at me and started crying. I stood there and watched him like a hawk...every time i see his hand moving towards the cord...i said firmly "NO!"...he looks at me, cries and stares longingly at the cord. Until...he finally gave up...but that was not for another few minutes and Eugene had to physically carry him away.
It was actually quite funny watching him...stare longingly at the wire cord and crying...it was as if he really really wanted to tug at it but he knows that he is forbidden from doing that.
So...what i learnt is....sometimes "NO!" seems to work better than long explanations...maybe not at this age...and he would only listen after he calms down and is physically moved from the area of temptation.
This incident and many other little incidents have made me think alot about disciplinary issues...and Eugene and i have decided that we need to talk about this further so as to be consistent when we react to Zac....and i thought the first few months were hard!

Phew...i am exhuasted from the weekend

We had a jam-packed weekend...it was all about Zachary! Started on Thursday night...
- Woke up suddenly...cried and cried and cried, refusing to be consoled...cried till he threw up all over daddy and even spewed onto me! Got kind of worried after that...cos he has never thrown up that badly before and i had no idea why he was crying so hard. AFter that....he kept waking up every 15 mins till around 4 am...he slept till around 6...woke up for his milk and slept on for another hour. Both Eugene and i were totally bushed!! Eugene was tired i was worried...so we went to the doctor to get him checked out. Found out that there is nothing wrong with him....might have been wind.
- Saturday...went to get his vaccinations done...doctor warned that he might catch a fever...he was pretty fine the whole of Saturday...except that he refused to take any naps that day!! only 1 nap in the morning...so i was tired out...but managed to escape for a little while by myself...needed it.
- Sunday...went to church...realised that he was heating up...came home early to get some panadol and food into him. It was EXTREMELY hard to get panadol into him!! When finally he did...it was also EXTREMELY hard to get him to nap...you would think that he was tired from being feverish....SIGH
Its monday today...i'm feeling the tiredness but guess what...Zachary is as perky as ever!!!